Wednesday, February 26, 2014

More from Down Under. . .

Called to be the new Principal of the Australian
Lutheran College is the Rev. James Winderlich, a strong proponent of the ordination of women.

If you will recall I expressed concern when the Australians elected Rev. John Henderson as Bishop of the Lutheran Church of Australia (LCA) not quite one year ago. Bishop Henderson took issue with his influence in this area and suggested that the course the LCA will follow will not be determined by his own opinions. It seems that he has not been without influence here in making sure that there are friendly voices to the ordination of women in key places of the LCA leadership. Should the Rev. James Winderlich accept, it would definitely point to the growing capitulation of the LCA to the feminist pressure.

Pray for the Lutheran brothers and sisters down under... Pray,

indeed!

It now appears that indeed the Rev. Winderlich HAS accepted this call. . . pray for our brothers and sisters in the LCA...

Rev.
John Henderson was elected Bishop of the Lutheran Church of Australia
(LCA) - See more at:
http://pastoralmeanderings.blogspot.com/search?q=australian#sthash.j7bxIpIU.dpuf

Rev.
John Henderson was elected Bishop of the Lutheran Church of Australia
(LCA) - See more at:
http://pastoralmeanderings.blogspot.com/search?q=australian#sthash.j7bxIpIU.dpuf

Rev.
John Henderson was elected Bishop of the Lutheran Church of Australia
(LCA) - See more at:
http://pastoralmeanderings.blogspot.com/search?q=australian#sthash.j7bxIpIU.dpuf

4 comments:

Anonymous
said...

The ordination of women, the ordination of gays, the feminization of the Church -- on and on it goes, like so many lemmings. Once set on this course, all turn a blind eye to the evidence of the disaster that inevitably follows. They fail to see what has happened to ELCA, ECUSA, Methodists, Presbyterians, CofE, etc. with the total destruction of each of these once solid Christian denominations. It is a contagion, a sin borne vector of destruction to weaken the Church and prepare the way for the advance of the devil and his minions. Containment through isolation, cutting ties completely, seems to be the only possible defense. There is a chosen blindness abroad in the world today, and many willingly choose to give in to this evil.

On an official visit to Adelaide for just one week, Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS) president Rev Dr [hon.] Matthew Harrison chose to renew his ties with Australian Lutheran College (ALC) by giving a public lecture on Wednesday, 29 May.

Dr [hon.] Harrison spent a year as a student at ALC (then Luther Seminary) in 1987 and 1988. It was ‘an opportunity to look at who I was as an American and to look at my theological heritage from another perspective. It is a joy to be back’, he told his audience.

Speaking on the topic ‘Sasse in today’s context’, Rev Harrison explored how the experience and teaching of theologian Hermann Sasse is still applicable to the churches of today—and Lutheran churches in particular. Dr [hon.] Harrison has translated much of Dr [[hon.] Sasse’s theological and other correspondence, editing a two-volume collection of Sasse’s work The Lonely Way.

Dr [hon.] Harrison told his audience that two aspects of Sasse’s theology remain vitally important for Lutherans in a post-modern world: ‘the importance of truth and the likelihood that one will suffer for the truth'.

These principles were evident every day in the modern context, where Christians were constantly being pushed out of public debate, he said.

Instances where this was being played out, Rev Harrison said, included US health-care reforms that require religious organisations to provide abortifacients as well as birth control in employees’ medical insurance; reforms that require religious adoption agencies to offer adoption services to same-sex couples, regardless of whether the agency received state funding; and the punitive use of tax policy against religious organisations.

The increasing pressure was causing churches to look for greater unity, to seek to work together more closely, he said.

Indeed, pray for us in the struggle that is gripping the LCA. The "call" of James Winderlich is a grave distortion. The man is unqualified for the position of Principal. He has no formal qualifications. He is known to support the ordination of women.

As those of us who stand opposed to this and the feminization of the Church, pray that we may be given the fortitude, the courage, the faith, to stand-up to the inevitable intimidation that will be heaped upon us.

The vitriol and hysteria that is directed at Pastor James Winderlich is a matter for shame and censure. The proponents of this irrational criticism have become increasingly shrill,irrelevant and will eventually marginalize themselves. There is a singular absence of grace and wisdom in this attack, the argument is not the gender of the called and ordained but the future survival of any confirming Christian presence in the social structure. Institutions are unhealthily enabled by dissent, power struggles and division. They also perish by the same dynamics.Feeding this is no cause for celebration or pride. I doubt that we have anything to say to each other or any desire to listen anymore. Sad? But inevitable.

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